• YouTubers Meg Turney and Gavin Free's home was broken into on January 26.
  • The suspect, Christopher Giles, was armed and died at the scene.
  • Turney has a 300k+ YouTube following while Free runs the Slo Mo Guys channel.
  • Police labelled Giles "single, lonely and disturbed".

YouTube stars Gavin Free and Meg Turney were the target of an armed home invasion that resulted in the death of the intruder.

According to US police records, 23-year-old Christopher Giles of Albuquerque, New Mexico, drove 11 hours to the couple's Texas home because he was obsessed with Turney, NBC-affiliate KXAN reports.

Police said Giles broke into the premises at 3.40am on January 26, and the incident was captured on surveillance cameras.

"Based on the footage seen, it was apparent that Giles' sole intent was to cause harm to someone who resides there," police documented in a search warrant. Free and Turney were reportedly hiding inside of a wardrobe on the phone to the police while the attacker was inside the house.

Giles reportedly fired gunshots inside and outside of the house, causing police to return fire. The suspect died on the scene, but according to KXAN, a pending investigation will determine whether he was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot or an officer.

The search warrant also revealed notes that Giles wrote in his phone, providing more insight into his motives. According to the warrant, one note said Giles "developed a fondness of Turney yet resented Free for his lifestyle and success" and another stated, "I want Gavin Free to die alone, with no children." Fox7 Austin reports that police labelled Giles "single, lonely and disturbed".

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Free spoke out about the incident for the first time on Twitter on Monday. "Hey everyone. I just wanted to say thanks for all the support and concern regarding the recent incident," he wrote. "It's been a rough time for Meg and myself the last few weeks but we are doing ok. I want to give a huge thanks to @Austin_Police for the amazing response time. you all."

Turney reiterated Free's sentiments in a separate tweet. "Thank y'all so, so much for each and every kind message today and a special thank you to the @Austin_Police for their quick response that night and their ongoing support during this difficult time," she said Monday.

Meanwhile, fellow YouTubers and fans expressed their love and support for the Internet personalities following the scary incident online.

Turney has over 300,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, and Free owns the YouTube channel Slo Mo Guys and is involved with the Rooster Teeth content creators.


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Headshot of Eileen Reslen
I’m Eileen, the digital news reporter at Hearst Digital Media. As a member of the newsroom, I report on a wide range of news, including entertainment, politics and lifestyle. I also cover red carpet events for over 20 of Hearst's magazine brands. I previously held positions at CNN, Facebook and MTV, where I worked as a digital producer, writer and on-camera host. Fun facts: I'm fluent in Spanish, a BU alum, and love fashion and travel.